Methods of philosophizing of Philosophyy
- 2. LET’S PONDER Which of the following statements are TRUE? 1. The sun is the center of the solar system. 2. Asia is the largest continent in the world. 3. God made the world in seven days. 4. Man has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 5. China’s continued presence in the Spratlys is a violation of international law. 6. A person must always consider the interests of his or her family before his or her own happiness. 7. The President has done very little to uphold democracy and look after the interests of the Filipino People
- 3. In today’s society, we encounter a lot of information from various sources such as the media and our interactions with friends, family and members of the community. Most of the information we receive is helpful, but some may mislead us or may even be utterly false. In some cases, innocent individuals become targets of harassment because of false claims and testimonials issued online. Every day we are confronted with news, claims and announcements from our peers, family members, figures of authority, the government, and media. How do we know if they are telling the truth?
- 4. Philosophers often grapple with the concept of truth. Truth lies at the heart of any inquiry. Knowledge must be truthful to gain validity and acceptance. Statements about the world or reality are called propositions and these propositions may or may not carry truth. Propositions are usually stated as short statements or sentences.
- 5. What is truth and why is it important? Before we discuss truth, it is important to clarify knowledge, since it is through knowing that we are able to determine what is true. Knowledge is the clear awareness and understanding of something. It is the product of questions that allow for clear answers provided by facts. Our knowledge is comprised of ideas and beliefs that we know to be true. Propositions or statements which are observed to be real or truthful are considered facts.
- 6. There are statements, however, that are not evidently or immediately known to be true. For example, we can say that “I know that my school is the best school in the province”. This statement, however, cannot be taken as true since it is simply not immediately evident. This statement is a claim, and further examination is required to establish whether it is true or false. Truthful statements, therefore, can be considered as based on facts. Science considers truth as something observable and empirical.
- 7. Truth and Opinion An opinion is a statement of judgment of a person about something in the world. Opinions are statements of judgment that are in need of further justification, opinions will have to be defended with better reasons to strengthen them .
- 8. How to critically examine opinions: We have shown that in order for an opinion to gain the status of truth , it must be able to pass the test of justification. In other words, whoever makes the opinion must be able to argue for it in the most reasonable way. A philosophical mind must then be prepared to examine arguments supporting an opinion. An argument is a group of statements that serve to support a conclusion. It is composed of a claim and a premise.
- 9. We call fake arguments as “fallacies”. Fallacies are group of statements that appear to be arguments, but fail to support the conclusion. They usually come in the guise of well articulated arguments. If you are not keen and critical enough, they can pass your tests of justification with no difficulty at all. This is why it is important to know what these fallacies look like.
- 10. TYPES OF FALLACIES ARGUMENTUM AD HOMINEM (Argument against the Person This is a fallacy used when people convince others that someone’s argument should be rejected because of the person’s personal background – his history, nationality, race, socio- economic status, family, associations, religion, and other circumstances. This argument is considered fallacious because the rightness or wrongness of a claim should not be affected by the background of the person claiming it.
- 11. ARGUMENTUM AD BACULUM ( Appeal to Force) This is an argument used by people who want to win a conflict by issuing threats to their opponent. Why is this argument fallacious? It is problematic because instead of convincing the other person that you are right by giving good reasons, you force them to accept whatever you say. The listeners are made to say “yes” to your claim even if in their right minds they know that your argument is foolish
- 12. ARGUMENTUM AD MISERICORDIAM (Appeal to Pity) This fallacy is also called appeal to emotion. It is an argument used by people who want to win people over by manipulating their emotions. This is a favorite tactic of politicians during campaign periods.
- 13. ARGUMENTUM AD POPULUM ( Bandwagon Fallacy) This fallacious argument is a favorite marketing strategy by advertising agencies. It is used by appealing to the popular sentiment of the public. If they want their product to sell, they will get the most popular personalities to model their product. This results to fans and avid followers of those personalities buying the product.